Arqiva Testing Long-Range Radio

Saturday, 10 July 2010 13:42

0 Comments

Broadcast signal distribution company Arqiva is testing the viability of long-range radio to provide the network infrastructure for the UK’s £10 billion smart meter/smart grid project. Partnering with Arqiva is BAE Systems subsidiary Detica, which provides security against hackers and ensures the quality of the data, and Sensus, which provides the smart meter technology. Using existing Arqiva transmitters, the pilot network covers around 200,000 homes in 80 square kilometres around Reading, using frequencies in the 400MHz band. These provide better building penetration at lower energy levels with fewer transmitters than the high frequency GSM and GPRS signals used by mobile phone network operators.

According to Arqiva, “The network will test the ability to send and receive information and instructions to smart meters and energy distribution control equipment. Both broadcast and multipoint modes will be tested. This is seen as essential to moving the smart meter network quickly from collecting and displaying consumption and tariffing information to a smart grid, where energy firms can manage demand remotely by restricting or cycling energy supply to consumers.”

The pilot was funded by a government grant that enables the test to run for at least 12 months and to publish the results. Arqiva smart meter project director Mike Green says ideally, the pilot would continue for at least five years. He also says the communications network to link the UK’s smart meters should be assessed as part of the national infrastructure, not as another application on the existing fixed and mobile networks, in part to assure better data security.

In Green’s opinion, the best network technology is long-range radio but he is concerned the technology might be overlooked. “The best technology doesn’t always win,” he told ComputerWeekly.. “I don’t want [the UK] to end up in a Betamax versus VHS situation.”
He points out that long-range radio systems have worked in North America and Europe and expects the test site at Reading to prove that will work in Britain as well.